


Adam Never Died AU

by Kelticmoon



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Adam never died AU, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-16
Updated: 2019-11-16
Packaged: 2021-02-07 07:08:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21454027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kelticmoon/pseuds/Kelticmoon
Summary: What would have happened in season 7 if Adam hadn't died.
Relationships: Adam & Keith (Voltron), Adam/Keith/Shiro (Voltron), Adam/Shiro (Voltron), Keith/Shiro (Voltron), Pining Adam - Relationship, if you squint
Comments: 2
Kudos: 108





	Adam Never Died AU

Adam has never been envious of Takashi’s friendship with Keith, or even jealous Keith would steal Takashi away from him.

Yeah, they both knew Keith had a crush on him back before Kerberos, even if Keith didn’t seem to know it himself; but the same could literally be said for about half the cadets (and senior officers too, let’s be real here).

No matter Adam’s issues with Takashi’s single-minded determination to prove himself, Adam trusted him.

For one, the two of them were already engaged at the time so there was that.

Secondly, Keith was 16 at the time and Takashi isn’t the kind of person who would take advantage of that (otherwise, Adam wouldn’t have been friends with him, let alone engaged to him). If anything, Adam and Takashi would often use that crush to push Keith to doing better in his classes and not get in so many fights (something he would regret later when it became known they basically made him an easy target for bullies).

He also had zero problems with how close their friendship was.

Sure, their influence on each other was like a tanker of gasoline being thrown on a campfire (especially when Commander Holt’s son, Matt got involved in their shenanigans) and he often felt like the only one out of the three of them with a whole brain cell, but he could see Takashi was good for Keith and vice versa (though he will admit, wrangling them often felt like he was dealing with a wild college student, his gremlin sidekick, and a grumpy, stray cat they took in).

Even after they broke up, Adam never got envious of how Takashi turned to Keith for comfort, especially since Keith had budding relationship with Cadet Griffin at the time.

Adam regretted the way they broke up, so he was glad Takashi had someone to lean on since Adam had his family to comfort him.

When the Kerberos crew went missing and were pronounced dead, that regret tripled.

He tried to channel that regret into taking care of Keith for him, even if that was easier said than done with how much Keith argued with the pilot error explanation they gave for it. Eventually that care meant getting Keith expelled to keep him from getting murdered or worse, now that Takashi wasn’t there to protect him.

Adam had been standing outside the Garrison the night the spaceship crashed.

He saw three cadets head to the crash site and followed them.

He wasn’t far when he heard the explosions go off near the site. He gets there just in time to see Keith and the three cadets hauling an unconscious person to a red hoverbike.

Adam felt his heart lurch when he realized it was Takashi.

Adam was with the ground party who gave chase. Adam saw Keith maneuver the hoverbike toward a well-known cliff to the three of them and Adam knew what was about to happen before it did.

Keith flew the hoverbike off the cliff, forcing the ground crew to stop their jeeps to avoid a crash. Adam watched as Keith perfectly executed the same dive Adam had seen Takashi do so many times.

He’d be lying if he said he hadn’t been at least a little bit proud of it.

Adam had also been standing outside the following day when suddenly a giant blue robot cat flew out of a canyon into the air (literally. It flew).

Adam somehow knew Takashi, Keith, and the three cadets were in it.

When Commander Holt magically returned from space sometime later telling them of aliens, an intergalactic war, and robotic cats that form a superweapon; Adam would have assumed he was crazy had he not seen that giant blue cat (lion, Commander Holt called it the Blue Lion) with his own eyes.

Then Sendak invaded.

Then his entire squad was killed except for him in the initial attack because they were dispatched against Commander Holt’s advice.

Then the Galra Occupation.

Adam has never been jealous or envious of their friendship.

Until today when a white-haired, single armed Takashi returns to Earth with a drop-dead gorgeous, clearly 20 something year old Keith in tow.

When they are brought in by Garrison patrols with the three cadets that went missing with them, three aliens, and a giant blue wolf; for the first time since he met Keith, he actually feels uneasy by him.

Still, he gives Keith a friendly greeting and is surprised to see a strong, confident young man where once stood a grumpy, insecure teenager.

Adam stands with them and Commander Holt in the standoff with Admiral Sanda over whether or not to give up the Voltron Lions. He even reminds Admiral Sanda that he’s living proof of what happened the last time she didn’t listen to Commander Holt.

Afterward, he and Takashi sit down in Adam's quarters at the Garrison and talk.

Adam genuinely starts to hope that maybe they can fix their relationship and get back what they had.

Adam is at Takashi’s side as Sendak captures Keith and the other Paladins.

Sanda betrayed them.

Adam will never forget the look of anguish on Takashi’s face that quickly morphs into resolve.

Adam goes with Takashi and the others to Atlas’ bridge. After several failed attempts, they finally get Atlas powered up with something the orange alien has (Coran. His name is Coran and he’s called an Altean).

Adam is immediately struck breathless and a little turned on by the way Takashi assumes command of the ship (since when did he have an authority kink?).

“Veronica, monitor the radars, let us know what you see. Commander Iverson, I need you on weapons. And Coran…”

He turns to the Altean man and adds.

“Get the helm.”

Coran then does what Adam can only assume is an Altean salute.

“Yes, Captain!”

Adam sees Takashi freeze at the title.

He looks around at everyone on the bridge.

He looks at Commander Holt as he approaches him.

“The bridge is yours, Shiro.”

Shiro gives him soft look as he says.

“We could use an engineer.”

Then comes the battle with Sendak’s armada, Voltron breaking themselves out of Sendak’s ship, Takashi personally going to Sendak’s ship so Sam can hack into the power crystal for the ship, Takashi going down with the ship, the fight with the strange mech they called a robeast, and Takashi somehow transforming Atlas into a giant fighting mech like Voltron.

After a long and harrowing fight, Voltron finally defeats the robeast.

Adam is just bringing Atlas’ scanners and part of the coms back online when they see a ball of white light slowly rise into the sky where Voltron and the robeast fell.

“Oh no…”

Adam turns as Takashi tries to make contact with Voltron.

“Keith, what’s going on?!”

The coms are only half online.

They work just enough for them to hear Keith but not enough for Keith to hear them.

_“It’s been an honor flying with you all.”_

Keith sounds like he’s out of breath as he speaks.

_“Now everyone, **GIVE IT EVERYTHING YOU’VE GOT!**”_

Moments later, the com cuts out completely.

“I’m detecting a massive explosion in the upper atmosphere…” Veronica states anxiously.

“No…” Adam and Takashi breathe at the same time.

Adam jumps to his feet as fireballs of red, yellow, green, blue, and purple fall from the sky.

Adam looks at Takashi and immediately regrets it.

Anguish, terror, and despair in equal measures are clear in Takashi’s eyes as they remain glued to the purple fireball.

It rumbles past the Atlas so close Adam can see the wings of the Lion before it strikes the ground close enough for the impact to rock the large robot.

Atlas changes back to a ship again.

Takashi puts Iverson in charge as he runs for the hatch.

Adam follows, quickly putting on a flight suit as he does. Together, he and Takashi jet-pack down to the still smoking crater.

While Adam stares stunned at the downed Lion lying on its side, Takashi has already started running toward it. He’s already disappeared around the Lion’s head by the time Adam starts running after him.

The smell of blood hits him the moment he enters the cockpit.

Adam staggers backward and has to take a few breaths to keep from fainting or throwing up. When his vision clears, he sees Takashi frantically searching the compartments. Keith lay on the “floor” of the Lion as he searches. There are spider web cracks across the helmet’s broken visor.

“What are you looking for?”

“A defibrillator. Keith’s in cardiac arrest! If we don’t restart his heart soon…”

Adam gasps and looks in the rest of the cabinets, only to come up empty.

Takashi drops to his knees at Keith’s side in despair.

“Are you surprised?”

Adam speaks gently as he kneels down at Takashi's side with a hand on his shoulder.

“They were captured by Sendak. The Galra probably stripped the cabin.”

Adam sees Takashi look suddenly at his hand then. He can practically see the wheels in his head turn as he starts to carefully remove Keith’s helmet to get at the clasps for the breastplate.

“What are you doing?” Adam asks as Takashi removes the breastplate; trying hard not to look at the blood coming from Keith’s ears, nose, and mouth.

Massive head trauma.

“My hand! I can use the power source to create a jolt.”

“Takashi, we don’t know if that’ll work…”

“It’s better than sitting here and watching him die!”

Takashi tears open the Paladin under armor before placing the palm of his prosthetic flat on Keith’s chest. He sends a surge of energy into Keith’s body.

Nothing.

Adam watches tears of desperation start rolling down Takashi’s face as he tries again and again to jumpstart Keith’s heart, getting the same result each time.

“Come on, Keith! Fight! You can’t give up now! Not after everything we’ve been through!”

Adam just stares at Takashi sadly.

It doesn’t look like his plan is going to work but he doesn’t have the heart to stop him.

Commander Holt, Iverson, and Officer Griffin come in with a med team at right around the sixth or seventh attempt.

“NO!”

In the entire time Adam has known Takashi, he has **NEVER** heard Takashi’s voice sound as desperate and anguished as it does the moment Holt, Iverson, and Griffin start pulling him away from Keith.

He’s fights them with everything he has as he cries out.

“NO! LET ME GO! PLEASE! THIS HAS TO WORK! ”

Takashi somehow manages to wrench himself free of them and delivers one… final… shock… to Keith’s chest.

The result is instantaneous.

“We have a heartbeat!”

“He’s breathing!”

Takashi stares in shock as med crew moves Keith onto a stretcher and to the Garrison Hospital.

Adam waits outside the window of the operating room with Takashi as Keith is rushed straight into surgery.

Takashi paces in front of the window as Commander Holt and his wife join them, still waiting for their daughter to be brought in.

Then Keith’s heart stops.

Not once, but twice.

Over the years, Adam witnessed many Garrison officers lose comrades and friends for a number of reasons, from accidents to illnesses and beyond.

Hell, he lost his entire squad.

Adam has **NEVER,** in his entire life, seen anyone become as completely inconsolable as Takashi does in those moments when Keith flat-lines.

Heartbroken doesn’t feel strong enough somehow.

Adam and the Holts have to physically hold Takashi back as he tries desperately to get to Keith.

“Let me go! Please let me go! Come on, Keith; _**fight**_!”

The second time is so much worse.

“Please no! God, please don’t take him from me! Please, I…”

Each cry from him sends another crack into Adam’s heart as he hugs his ex-fiancé around the middle.

After reviving Keith a third time, Keith immediately slips into a coma.

Takashi drops to his knees sobbing.

Adam feels tears roll down his own face as he goes with him; both for Takashi and himself.

He’s not surprised Takashi would be upset by this.

It’s the ferocity of his despair that knocks Adam sideways.

In that moment, Adam feels all hope of him and Takashi rekindling their relationship die.

Because he knows someone else has Takashi’s heart now.

The person who stole Takashi’s car all those years ago.

The person who never gave up hope that Takashi was alive somewhere.

The same person whose life is hanging by a thread.

Whether Keith makes it through this or not, Takashi’s in love with him.

It’s half a day before Keith is finally taken to a room in the ICU.

During that time, the remaining Paladins are brought in unconscious, but alive and not nearly as bad as their leader (though the big guy Hunk has a nasty cut on his forehead from his visor breaking. Before Keith comes out of surgery, they all wake up one by one.

Takashi visits them one at a time at Adam’s insistence as a kind of distraction.

Each time the questions are the same.

“How are the others?”

Followed by…

“How’s Keith?”

Takashi never answers the second one, which says more than words ever could.

The only person who doesn’t react fearfully is the youngest of three Alteans, both of whom happen to be with the Altean princess when Takashi visits her.

“Keith will be alright,” she insists firmly.

The princess smiles at it.

“Romelle is right, Shiro. Keith is the strongest of us. He is a fighter. It is who he is. If anyone can survive this, it is him.”

Adam actually sees Takashi give them both a watery smile.

“Thanks, Allura. Romelle.”

When Keith is finally taken to his room, Takashi immediately goes with them.

Adam doesn’t join him this time.

Instead he goes back to his quarters.

He then avoids Takashi for a week so he can think (not like it was hard. Takashi’s being worked non-stop by the Garrison during the day and returns to Keith’s room whenever he's not working).

Adam honestly doesn’t know what he was expecting.

Of course there would be no going back after everything that happened between the two of them. It hurt for Adam to admit, but if anyone deserved to have Takashi’s heart; it’s Keith.

Keith, who stood by Takashi as he tried to do as much as possible with what little life he had left.

Keith, who defended Takashi's honor to anyone who dared insult it when the Kerberos mission’s disappearance was deemed “pilot error”.

Keith, who never gave up on Takashi and believed in him.

Adam may never know completely what happened to them out there in space, but Adam knows in his heart that Takashi is a different person now than he was back then. Adam can never be the kind of partner Takashi needs because he has no idea what he’s been through.

Keith on the other hand lived it.

If not at Takashi’s side, than witnessing aftermath of it. He can understand Takashi in a way Adam never could and honestly, if Adam had to lose Takashi to someone else; he’s glad it’s Keith.

Adam also knows something Keith doesn’t.

Takashi can’t flirt for shit and is TERRIBLE at starting relationships. He’s also dense as a neutron star when it comes to whether or not someone likes him as much as he likes them (Adam pretty much had to do all the legwork himself when it came to flirting and asking the other out).

As the second week begins, Adam goes to visit the Garrison hospital.

He goes straight to Keith’s room in ICU and finds Takashi keeping vigil in a chair at Keith’s side. He looks like he’s dozing off a little with his head resting on his prosthetic with the younger man’s hand held within his flesh hand. Keith’s blue wolf is on the other side of the bed resting his head near Keith’s other hand as he whimpers plaintively.

“You’ll kill your back sitting like that.”

Takashi jumps and looks at him.

“Adam! Sorry, I didn’t hear you come in.”

Shiro drops Keith’s hand to rub his face as Adam approaches the bed and stands beside him.

“Any improvements?”

Takashi shakes his head as he looks back at Keith.

“None. They're saying to give it time but... and Garrison Command keeps pulling me away to do stuff. They even want me to prepare a speech for the ceremony at the end of the week.”

“I mean, you **_are_ **in the process to be named captain; Takashi; the second highest rank at the Garrison. And that’s not counting Head of Garrison Command. It kinda comes with the territory.”

“Still, everyone else has had most, if not all of their family with them when they awoke. Keith’s mother is on her way, but it’ll take a few more days before she gets here. I don’t want Keith to wake up in this room alone or with a stranger and Matt’s still in space. Kosmo is always at his side and sometimes Romelle will come sit with him, but still...”

As if on cue, Iverson knocks on the door.

“Forgive me, Shiro, but they need your presence a few more meetings.”

Takashi gives Adam a distraught look that says ‘see?!’ at the request.

Adam looks at Takashi sympathetically.

“I could sit with him if you want.”

Takashi looks at Adam in surprise.

“Really?”

Adam shrugs.

“Keith’s known me almost as long as he’s known you or Matt. I’ll keep him company while you’re working. At least until his mom gets here.”

Takashi hugs Adam then.

“Thank you so much, Adam!”

Adam looks at him affectionately as he hugs him back.

“Message me immediately if he wakes up!"

“Will do. Now go!”

Takashi goes with Iverson, leaving Adam alone with Keith and the wolf.

Said wolf eyes Adam as he takes Takashi’s seat.

“Kosmo, was it?”

Adam reaches out to pet the wolf who immediately moves closer to be pet. Kosmo then curls up on the couch in the room and pretends he’s asleep while keeping an eye on Adam.

Adam looks at Keith then.

There’s a bandage wrapped around Keith’s head, an IV and heart monitor, as well as a breathing mask over his mouth and nose. Adam can see bandages poking through the hospital shirt he’s wearing.

“Hey there, kiddo. Sorry I haven’t been by until now. Just needed to sort through some things.”

Adam thinks for a moment before continuing.

“Don’t take too long coming back to us, alright? Takashi needs you.”

**Author's Note:**

> Google search "densest object in the universe" if you don't understand Adam's analogy.


End file.
